155 injured in Barisal University-BM College students' night-long clash over house encroachment

At least 155 people were injured in the night-long clash between the students of Barisal University and BM College for occupying houses on the Baptist Mission Road in Barisal city. At that time, four buses of both the educational institutions and the administrative building of BM College were extensively vandalized in the campus. These incidents took place on Tuesday (September 3) from 12:30 pm to 5:00 am. Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Kotyali Model Police Station, said that about a hundred people were injured in the clash.

It is known that the family of a student of BM College named Ashfia Akhtar and the family of Tasnubha Chowdhury, a student of Barisal University, have been in dispute for a long time. 15-20 people led by Mustafizur Rahman, coordinator of BM College of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, went to Ashfiad's house on Baptist Mission Road in Barisal Nagar on behalf of Ashfia around 10 pm on Monday night. Later, when they went to the neighbor Tasnuvad's house to find out about the dispute, there was an argument between the two parties. When Tasnuva told the matter to her classmates at Barisal University on the phone, several students of the university rushed there. There, the coordinator of BM College, Mostafizur Rahman, was beaten up during a verbal dispute between the two parties.

The students of Barisal University said that a party had hired Mostafizur Rahman Rafiq, identified as the coordinator of BM College, to occupy a house on Baptist Mission Road in the city. Going there, Rafi and the people with him attacked the original owners of the house. Zoya, a student of Barisal University, was attacked there. Barisal University students wanted to know the reason of the attack and attended the spot that night after getting the news. At this time, Rafi tried to attack them. Later, Zoya lodged a complaint with the police station.

Later, at 10 o'clock in the night, two students of Barisal University were found in Battala area of ​​the city and the students of BM College beat them up. The students of Barisal University claimed that 6 of their students were detained by the students of BM College, besides the bus was also vandalized. Many were injured in the armed attack. Later, the students of Barisal University demanded the rescue of arms by raiding the BM College.

Students of BM College said that for several days a woman came to BM College seeking help from the coordinators saying that her house has been occupied. So in view of that request, coordinator Mostafizur Rahman went to the woman's house to discuss with his opponent. However, as soon as he went home, the student of Barisal University abused the identified gambling coordinators. Later, when Zoya called his friend, he came to the spot by bus from Barisal University and attacked the coordinator of BM College.

They also claimed that two students of Barisal University were arrested in Battala area while they were extorting at 10 pm by the students of BM College. Due to their detention, the students of Barisal University launched an armed attack on us. Our three buses, administrative building, classrooms, three halls were extensively vandalized. Shops in BM College area were also vandalized. We are not able to accept the two family matters that have given form to the conflict. Barisal University is a product of the students' movement of BM College. We will give an appropriate response to this attack very soon. About 45 of our students were injured in this incident.

On hearing the news of the beating of their classmates, 40/50 students of Barisal University went there in a university bus at around 12:00 PM. Students of BM College attacked the bus and caused extensive vandalism and injured 15/20 people including the driver. When the news reached about the beating of their classmates, bus-truck loads of more than a thousand students of the university gathered at Banglabazar area of ​​Barisal city, about 5 km away from the campus. After walking about 2 kilometers from there, they went to BM College and attacked.

At this time, students of Barisal University took trucks full of stones, several three-wheelers full of bricks, sticks, hockey sticks. Besides, everyone had rods, pipes, sticks and sharp weapons. They entered the BM College campus from 1:00 am to 3:30 am and vandalized the administrative building, three residential halls and classrooms. In the first phase of the attack, the students of BM College tried to counter-attack but could not survive for long as they were outnumbered.

After that, the students of Barisal University went on a rampage of vandalism throughout the entire campus of BM College. Almost all the rooms of the residential halls were vandalized. The administrative building was also ransacked. 4 buses of the college were vandalized. Army personnel reached the spot around 3:30 pm. They managed to bring the situation under control after about 1 hour of effort. However, there were still reports of attacks and counter-attacks around BM College.

30 of the injured have been admitted to Barisal Shere Bangla Medical College Hospital in the first phase. While carrying out the attack, 6 students of Barisal University were trapped inside BM College and the students of Barisal University told the army that they were not found. Till writing this report at 10 am, the situation in BM College area was calm. A large number of army personnel surrounded the entire area.

Dr. Umesh Roy, head of the Bengali department of Barisal University, said that more than a hundred students of Barisal University received treatment from the hospital in the attack. Now there are 33 people admitted. He also said that the students of Barisal University have returned to the campus.

Besides, Acting VC Muhsin Uddin found 6 students of Barisal University who were missing while leaving the BM College area at 6:30 in the morning. A joint statement signed by BM College Principal Aminul Haque and Barisal University Acting VC Mohsin Uddin came to the journalists at 8 am on Wednesday. It is mentioned there that the Barisal University government will bear all the expenses incurred in the BM College and six students of the university have been taken from the BM college authorities and the general students. Those six students of Barisal University attacked BM College and were detained by the students of BM College. They were detained overnight in the college's central mosque, later handed over to the university authorities.

Source: Ittefaq

Bangladesh /KH